Monday, October 14, 2013

the reality of Obamacare

Cross said she was doing just fine with insurance bought under a “sole proprietor plan” that allowed self-employed individuals to pool for coverage with small businesses, a policy unique to New York.

She said she was paying $568 a month.

Now it’s gone.

“Your current sole proprietor plan from Oxford Health Insurance Inc. will no longer be available,” Howard Margolies, Oxford’s vice president of small business in New York, wrote in an Oct. 1 “withdrawal notice” to Cross.

Under ObamaCare, Margolies said, self-employed individuals are not considered “employees,” and the medical plan currently offered her is no longer considered a “group health plan.”

“These changes are required by federal health reform,” Cross said.

Instead, Cross has to choose from among four plans — Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze — that cater to individuals as required under ObamaCare.

She compared her current coverage and costs with what Oxford was offering in the new individual plans. What she found made her sick.